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This page suggests avenues for Food Safety Culture related study at the University of Otago.
Whether you are a prospective undergraduate, postgraduate, or postdoctoral researcher, there are research opportunities available for you to investigate the human, social, and organisational drivers of food safety.
Pathways to study Food Safety Culture
❋ Study Options
Starting from a base of a Bachelor of Science (BSc) majoring in Food Science, Psychology, or Management, students can carry on and do postgraduate study (Honours, MSc, or PhD), which can be partially or fully dedicated to a food safety culture topic.
We offer projects across our three core themes: (1) Measurement, (2) Act, (3) Sustain & Evaluation.
❋ Recommended Postgraduate Papers
🟥 Food Safety Culture Module
This module focuses on the people side of food safety, exploring how culture, behaviour, and workplace dynamics influence real-world outcomes. It combines behavioural science with practical application, equipping students to design interventions that strengthen food safety culture in industry settings.
❋ Recommended Undergraduate Papers
To prepare for research in Food Safety Culture, we recommend a mix of "hard" science (to understand the risks) and "social" science (to understand the people). While there is currently no dedicated Food Safety Culture paper in undergraduate programme, here are several papers that contain food safety and culture content across the University:
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FOSC 111: Food Principles (The foundations of food science).
FOSC 202: Food Systems 2 (Focuses on preservation and safety control).
FOSC 302: Food Preservation and Processing (Critical for understanding Critical Control Points and microbiology).
FOSC 309: Consumer Food Science Options (An independent study paper where the research topic can be specifically focused on Food Safety Culture).
FOSC 311: Food Product Development (Teaches the stage-gate process, ensuring safety and compliance are designed into products from the start)
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MANT 250: Managing People (Fundamentals of HR and organisational behaviour).
MANT 251: Managing Organisations (Understanding structure and culture).
MANT 330: Leadership (Explores leadership styles and their influence on organisational culture).
PSYC 210: Social Psychology (Understanding group dynamics and social influence).
To inquire or for more information, contact us at
food.safety.culture@otago.ac.nz